Paid $150 for a local home inspection and it was the best waste of money I ever spent
Bought a fixer upper outside Akron last spring. The seller had one of those generic checklists that flagged nothing serious. I almost skipped my own inspection to save cash. Then the guy crawled under the porch and found a sagging beam that would have cost me $2,000 to fix later. He also spotted knob and tube wiring that the seller likely knew about. I paid him direct, no real estate agent involved. That $150 got me a lower offer and a clear plan. Has anyone else used a private inspector instead of the agent's recommended one? Curious if that saved anyone else or just added stress.
My last DIY repair attempt ended with me watching a YouTube video at 2am while holding a flashlight in my teeth, so hiring someone who actually knows what a sagging beam looks like is money well spent in my book. That knob and tube wiring is no joke either. My cousin's place had it hidden behind drywall and his insurance company threw a fit when they found out. Paying a private guy who doesn't owe the seller any favors seems like the smart move here.